We hear a lot about the dark side of screens and electronics; how they’re contributing to social isolation, childhood obesity, cyberbullying, or just sucking the joy out of family time. And it’s true, managing electronics is tricky. But in Episode 19 of Edit Your Life, Asha and I discuss the upside of electronics. Electronics are increasingly a part of our kids’ lives: school, homework, entertainment, communication, and social lives. Given that they are here to stay, we wanted to lend some balance to the doom-and-gloom around screens.We hear a lot about the dark side of screens and electronics; how they’re contributing to social isolation, childhood obesity, cyberbullying, or just sucking the joy out of family time. And it’s true, managing electronics is tricky. But in Episode 19 of Edit Your Life, Asha and I discuss the upside of electronics. Electronics are increasingly a part of our kids’ lives: school, homework, entertainment, communication, and social lives. Given that they are here to stay, we wanted to lend some balance to the doom-and-gloom around screens.
Man, this weather has been SO WEIRD. As I'm typing this paragraph, it's 57 degrees on December 15 and I walked around all day without a jacket! I thought by now I'd be doing a roundup on outdoor skating rinks (fear not, that feature is forthcoming) but many rinks are delayed due to the weather. Meanwhile, if you're looking to work on your swizzles and axels, Laura has assembled this awesome list of 41 indoor ice skating rinks in Boston and beyond. Enjoy!
A lot of questionable decision making happens in one’s 20’s, and I try to issue forgiveness to my 20’s-era self. However, I still shudder when I think about an incident when – after an outing at a Boston bar with friends – I got into the car of someone who definitely shouldn’t have been driving. Reflecting back, I think three factors were in play: 1) laziness (public transit and cabs are abundant in Boston so, yeah, laziness), 2) cheapness (I was a poor research assistant), and 3) confidence (I didn't know the driver well and probably didn’t want to seem like a jerk). It was a harrowing ride home and we were really, really lucky that no one got hurt.
The holidays can be wonderful but let’s be honest, there’s also a lot of crap, be it emotional or physical. Gift-giving unfortunately is often fueled by obligation, and the more is better trap can loom large during the holidays. In Episode 18 of Edit Your Life, Asha and I share 9 ideas for how to relax the craziness around gifts -- without tamping down generosity -- and keep the physical crap to a minimum. It's such a great episode, I hope you'll take a listen!
I will be plain and say that I love lipstick. I wear it almost every day given that I'm not one of those people with naturally pink lips and otherwise look totally washed out without lip color. So when Clarins contacted me about their new Joli Rouge collection -- notable for being moisture-rich and long-lasting -- I was like YES, I want to know more! Clarins kindly sent me a few shades to test out (the collection includes 16) and I fell in love with all three picks.
Family guilt and drama around the holidays is an annual source dread for many people. For some, it’s the logistical problem of seeing many people (and sometimes traveling) on a compressed timeline. For others, the holidays come with baggage and expectations, especially with extended family. In Episode 17 of Edit Your Life, Asha and I share about our family get-together rituals pre- and post-kids + 9 tips for getting over the guilt and shaping your own family traditions.
Earlier this year I started using Shiseido Benefique to very happy effect. I'm still using it daily so when Shiseido reached out to ask whether I'd like to try out the Shiseido Benefique Advanced masks, I was like YES. My skin tends to dry out quickly when the temperature drops so I'm on board with hydration treatments! I wanted to share about the mask for this week's Friday Find, and also, I'm giving away a set of masks to a lucky reader. Yay!
Last Friday, my dear friend Paige hosted the coolest thing ever: a maker night! The guest was Anne Weil, author of Knitting Without Needles: A Stylish Introduction to Finger and Arm Knitting. Anne is utterly delightful and an excellent teacher -- she was unphased wrangling our chatty group of ladies! It was so fun to learn a new craft and I made this gorgeous cowl in 30 minutes! The yarn was so delicious and I want to sleep in a big fluffy pile of it every night.
Do you struggle with fear and self-doubt? Do you want to feel braver and stronger in life? Do you want to edit away the things that hold you back? In Episode 15 of Edit Your Life, I interview Erin Dullea, life coach and founder of 52 Dares. Erin and I talk about bringing consciousness to life choices, how to move towards a fuller (not busier) life, what holds women back, the overthinking muscle, how to bring accountability and self-compassion to your life, the power of saying you’re sorry, and how to edit your life of shame and other barriers so you can move forward.
Modern day dinners are far from Rockwellian. More typically, they involve a revolving door of family members tired and hungry after a busy day, with parents who likely are lacking in motivation or sheer minutes to do a ton of prep work. Fear not! In Episode 14 of Edit Your Life, Asha and I share 9 tips for weekday dinner solutions, related to planning (don’t be afraid, this is totally minimalist planning!), efficiency, execution, outsourcing, and general mindshifts about what a modern day dinner really looks like.
Oh my word, I have a CRAZY AMAZING giveaway for you today! At the Wayfair Heart Home conference last month I had a chance to check out the wares of Smartstuff, makers of gorgeous furniture for kids. I fell in love with their super stylish #myRoom collection. And today, thanks to the generosity of Smartstuff, I'm giving away the #myRoom twin reading bed ($1,050 value) + nightstand ($675 value). How cute is it that the bed has a built in reading light?